Back to Find Units Page

Unit of Study VMED3003 - Applied Equine Medicine and Surgery (2026)

Show me unit information for year

Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

    Students must have completed all units in Year 3 AND CWIL (2 weeks) AND PCWIL (4 weeks) before enrolling in this unit. 1. To pass the unit, students must submit all assessment tasks. 2. Attendance: It is important to recognise the relationship between attendance, participation, student success and retention. Please take advantage of all classes and engagement activities as it will increase your opportunity for learning, progression in the course, and success as a veterinarian. For units with practicals and other learning activities that directly relate to developing AVBC day one competencies that are required for veterinary accreditation, attendance is required. These will be identified within each unit and attendance requirements clearly communicated to students.

Unit description

This unit provides Year 4 veterinary students with theoretical and hands-on clinical training in equine sport and internal medicine and surgery, building upon systems knowledge to develop essential diagnostic, therapeutic, and professional clinical skills. Through immersive case-based learning and practical experiences, students will refine their ability to assess and manage common equine diseases, applying logical clinical reasoning to formulate evidence-based diagnostic and treatment plans. Students will engage with real-world clinical cases, discussing clinical cases, diagnostic approaches, and therapeutic interventions while integrating reflective practice to enhance their clinical decision-making. Emphasis will be placed on differential diagnosis, interpreting diagnostic test results, treatments and rehabilitation procedures. Additionally, this unit fosters the development of teamwork and communication skills, essential for working in a veterinary clinical team. Students will collaborate with peers and mentors to discuss case management strategies, justify clinical decisions, and communicate findings clearly and professionally. By completing this unit, students will gain the confidence and competence required for equine clinical practice, preparing them for clinical rotations in equine medicine, surgery, and broader veterinary professional settings.

Unit content

  1. Diagnosis and management of common equine musculoskeletal disorders
  2. Diagnosis and management of common equine respiratory disorders
  3. Diagnosis and management of equine gastrointestinal disorders with emphasis on colic
  4. Equine cardiology and neurology: diagnosis and clinical management
  5. Equine metabolic disorders and infectious diseases
  6. Equine surgery, anaesthesia and rehabilitation: advanced procedures and protocols

Availabilities

Not currently available in 2026

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

assess and diagnose common equine medical and surgical conditions across the musculoskeletal, respiratory, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, and infectious systems through structured clinical examination and appropriate diagnostic techniques

formulate and implement evidence-based case management plans, including medical, surgical, nutritional, and rehabilitative strategies tailored to individual equine patients, with consideration of performance, welfare, and client communication

demonstrate competence in equine-specific anaesthetic protocols, perioperative care, and the principles of pain management and post-operative monitoring for a range of elective and emergency procedures

critically apply preventive and biosecurity measures, drawing on knowledge of metabolic, infectious, and environmental risk factors to enhance herd health and reduce the incidence of disease in equine populations.